Enterprise wins doubleheader opener over Dothan to force deciding game for area title

Both teams entered Game 2 on Thursday night with a 4-2 area record going into the tie-breaker to determine the area champion.

The Wildcats were in a do-or-die situation in Game 1 after having lost to Dothan 1-0 on Tuesday night. Had Enterprise lost the opener of the Thursday doubleheader, Dothan would have earned the area title and Prattville would have been the runner-up.

With the Enterprise win, however, it resulted in the teams being in a three-way tie, with the Wolves and Wildcats having tiebreakers over the Lions and earning the two state playoff spots. The second game between Dothan and Enterprise was to decide the order of the two teams.

In Game 1, Enterprise plated three runs in the opening inning, the first coming when Trey Cavanaugh scored on a groundout to shortstop off the bat of Jack Williams. Payton Easterling then dropped a single into center field for an RBI.

After Drew Shiver singled into right field with a line drive to put runners at first and third with one out, Dothan pitcher Te’Relle George-Mills got a strikeout, but the ball got past the catcher and the third run came into score to make it 3-0.

Dothan tallied a run in the bottom of the first, but missed a golden opportunity for a big inning.

George-Mills singled to open the inning before Bauer Sharp and Matthew Omohundro both walked to load the bases.

With Jace Dyer at the plate, a pitch from Cavanaugh got past the catcher Easterling and Mills came in from third for a run, cutting the lead to 3-1.

Disaster then struck Dothan on the base paths, resulting in an unusual triple play for the Wildcats.

Cavanaugh got Dyer on a groundout to second and also out of further trouble when Sharp was caught in a rundown between third and home for the second out and Omohundro was tagged out trying to advance to third on the same play.

Enterprise then took total command in the fourth inning with three more runs.

Shiver singled up the middle to begin the inning and Owen Burrow doubled over third base to put runners at second and third.

Will Powell then walked to load the bases and C.J. Wilkerson walked to bring in Shiver for a 4-1 lead.

Cavanaugh then hit a harder grounder off the third baseman to bring in another run. With the bases still loaded, Noah Loy hit a grounder that resulted in a force out at second base, but the third run of the inning scored to make it 6-1.

The Wildcats got some insurance in the sixth inning after two were out.

Parker Sessions reached on an error at third, Williams reached on an infield hit before Easterling ripped a hit over third base to bring in Sessions in making it 7-1.

With Shiver at the plate and runners on second and third with two outs, Brooks Olive came in to pitch in relief of George-Mills. Shiver sent a soft line drive towards third base that went off the glove of the fielder to bring in another run for an 8-1 lead.

Cavanaugh went the distance on the mound for Enterprise in getting the win. He allowed only three hits and a run, while striking out one and walking four.

Easterling had three hits and Cavanaugh and Shiver two each for the Wildcats.

The three Wolves hits were by George-Mills, Ty Fundum and Padilla. All were a single.